


Scales

by OccupationLove



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Al is reckless, Alternate Universe - Human, Arguments, Lud threw a breastplate across the room, Lud throws a tantrum, Lud wants him to be safe, M/M, and doesn't think he's throwing a tantrum, blacksmith and knight au, but is irritated because Alfred won't stay safe, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 10:25:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15839334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OccupationLove/pseuds/OccupationLove
Summary: What was the point of armor if it didn't protect the person wearing it. It was the most frustrating thing in the world that the soldier at his door refused to stay safe or take on normal missions; instead, he just has to be a hero but Ludwig isn't sure he can keep up.





	Scales

**Author's Note:**

> Gerame Day 4 Entry 1

“Look, this is the last time I’m going to tell you. You either have to be more careful or find someone else to make your armor. I’m tired of mending holes that could easily be avoided.”

Bronze skin caught his eye as the soldier hopped up onto the table across the room and leaned back on one hand. The position he was in screamed comfort but the look in his eyes was the definition of overconfidence and for a moment, Ludwig wondered how gratifying it would feel to punch those brilliant white teeth straight out of his mouth. Probably not very when the crown punished him for assaulting one of their warriors. Regardless, he still wanted to wipe that smug look off of his face. 

“I don’t know if you’ve ever fought a dragon, buddy, but there’s nothing easily avoidable about a giant foot coming down from the sky. Unless of course you think I’m a god. In which case you should be honored that I pay you for repairs that I could easily demand through some sort of religious sacrifice.”

Ludwig wrenched the breastplate in front of him off the table, “You’re no god. You need to stop fighting things that can tear metals to pieces you dumbass. A god would obviously have some sort of divine sense that said ‘hey, maybe this is a bad idea and I’m going to end up pissing off the blacksmith again’. You know what? Scratch that. Normal people have that sense so you obviously have something wrong with you. Were you maybe dropped as a child? Or hypnotized into thinking that you need to personally slay anything that threatens the town?”

The soldier--Alfred, Ludwig reminded himself-- shrugged, unbothered by anything thrown his way, “Eh, well, a hero’s got to do what a hero’s got to do.”

Ludwig shot a withered glare in his direction, “You’re not a hero.”

Alfred laughed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, “I think most people in the kingdom might disagree with you there. Actually, you’re the only person I’ve met that seems to dislike me. Which is a mystery to me because I’ve got to be one of your primary sources of income.”

“The crown is my main source of income.”

The unadulterated arrogance in the other man’s smile, honestly made him want to quit his job and move to the middle of nowhere. Maybe he’d go fight a dragon just to spite him. Though, he supposed he probably need to be trained how to use one of his fine weapons before he did so. “Just because the king pays you tons to outfit the other soldiers doesn’t mean I don’t pay you out of pocket for the repairs.”

Ludwig rolled his eyes, “You must not make much money. I can’t imagine they pay soldiers enough to even afford all the reckless damage you etch into my work.”

He chuckled, “They pay me enough and that’s all you really need to know. Saving the town is pretty valuable you know.”

Lud raised an eyebrow, “So, what? You take up extra missions I’m assuming to earn some extra coin. Which you spend here because--kill me--there’s a whole section of the side missing! What did you do?! Were you in the dragon’s mouth?! Dammit, you’re so fucking reckless! I’m going to have make a whole new set of armor; and, ooooohhhh, it’s not going to be cheap.”

Alfred hopped off the table suddenly unamused, “What, Luddy, no! That’s not fair you can’t just charge me more because you’re annoyed with me.”

He threw the severely damaged breastplate across the room in his frustration, “I can and I will. I have to make an entire new set of armor specifically for you--from scratch I might add-- which I know you’re going to bring back in here in two weeks and tell me ‘oh, Ludwig I got launched out of a trebuchet straight into a wyvern’s mouth and was almost fed to her babies. But it’s all great, right? Because you can fix it can’t you?’ No! No, Alfred I can’t fix it. And I’m about to lose my mind because you won’t be careful. Just--dammit!--stop doing this. It isn’t cute!”

Alfred took a step back that turned into a stumble before slowing raising his hands to either side of his face, “I knew that fixing my stuff annoyed you but I didn’t know it made you this mad,” he sighed, “if you’ll drop the price to something reasonable I’ll try to be more careful, alright? Maybe next time I won’t come in with the side chunk missing.”

He snorted and crossed his arms. Part of him wanted to throw a fit and demand things like a small child but that was neither the person he was nor the reputation he wanted to have so he settled for trying to convey the depth of the resignation he was feeling and the anger that was still simmering beneath the surface with a solid stare straight into Alfred’s eyes, “You better not come in here with the side missing, again.”

Alfred smiled and Ludwig watched as the corners of his mouth rearranged the constellations of freckles on his face. He felt another rise of defensive anger burst in his chest but he ignored it in favor of listening to what the other man said, “Okay, okay. I’ll keep myself safe next time. Now, a price for a new set of armor?”

He sighed and went to pick up the breastplate that he had chucked across the room, “Ten gold.”

Alfred opened his mouth like he was going to protest but then smiled and nodded, “That sounds fair.”

Ludwig rolled his shoulders after setting the heavy armor down on his workbench, “Good now get out of my shop before I change my mind.”

The soldier snickered and waved at him, “Alright. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks to pick it up. Try not to get mad at your other customers while I’m gone.”

He glared at his back, “Get out.”

Alfred laughed, “I’m going. I’m going”

 

Two weeks later and Ludwig was tightening the straps on Alfred’s new armor and making sure everything moved correctly. Mobility was a resource in battle and he wasn’t abou to send someone like  _ him _ out in the world without the best armor out there. Alfred whined as he tightened one of the arm straps, “Woah, lighten up there. It’s still bruised from that last dragon.”

Which meant that it had been severely wounded the last time he was in the shop but instead of seeking medical help he had insisted on staying and sitting on his table. Great. Wonderful. Amazing. He tried to smile but he was sure that the pure wrath that he felt was radiating off of him in waves, “It’s bruised?”

Alfred nodded and looked up at the cobwebs stuck to the ceiling--he needed to dust, he realized, “Yeah. The healers fixed up all the major damage and all and it’s pretty much all healed up but it’s still a little bruised.”

Ludwig tightened the strap to the point that it was supposed to be at and Alfred grunted either from the shock or from the pain, either way, “If you were more careful than you wouldn’t have any lingering bruises now would you? Anyway, I can’t decide if the armor needs adjustments if you don’t wear it right.”

Al whined, “You could’ve warned me first.”

Ludwig shrugged and moved Alfred’s arm to check the mobility, “I could have. And you could’ve warned me that you were going to destroy your last set of armor. Would’ve been nice don’t you think?”

Two raised eyebrows greeted his line of sight before he turned back toward his workbench to write down the final adjustments. 

“Are you still mad about that?”

Lud rolled his shoulders and raised an eyebrow at nothing in particular, “Are still bruised?”

Al stomped his feet and waved his hands at his sides, “I don’t understand why you’re so upset. You always tell me I’m a dumbass but don’t you profit off of my fights? Besides, I thought you liked designing armor? This is literally a win-win situation for you.”

The sound in his chest sounded like a growl, if he was being perfectly honest, “You. Piss me off. That’s all there is to it.”

Alfred’s chest heaved with the breath he took in, “Because I mess up your armor? I already told you I’d be more careful. I’m not going to mess up any more of the your stuff. So, get over it.”

Ludwig snorted, “Somehow I don’t believe that.”

Suddenly, the new set of armor was being set down in front of him and Alfred’s hand was pushing at his shoulder, “Then why are you making me a new set?”

He didn’t have time to answer before the other man stormed out of his store like there was lightning in his body. Exasperated, Lud set back to work on the armor; it wasn’t like he truly had a choice in the matter. The crown would have his head if he refused to outfit one of their most productive fighters--which was ridiculous because they had to at least understand the basic grasp of frustration when someone came in at least once a month to tell someone that they had ruined all of their hard work. 

His armor was meant to protect a warrior, to help them feel comfort in a battle, even. How was it supposed to do that if the soldier wearing it tore it to shreds? How was  _ he  _ supposed to protect his customers if they insisted in destroying everything he put in place to keep them safe. How was he supposed to make anything that could withstand a dragon?

Wait.

Maybe....

He drafted a letter to the king inquiring after dragon scales. Surely, with how many of the creatures his idiot of a customer had slain they had at least a few stored away. If he could just work them into the new set--which already consisted of the strongest metals he could get his hands on-- then maybe he could prevent any real damage. 

It took him an added week with the scales added in and Ludwig didn’t remember the last time he slept but he knew for a fact that this set of armor wasn’t going to come back missing an entire side. Alfred showed up at the shop with his arms crossed and a frown plastered on his face, “So, are we over this unnecessary hostility or am I going to have to get down on my knees and beg you for forgiveness over your precious destroyed armor that I definitely paid you double the normal price to replace?”

Ludwig blinked, somewhat caught off guard by the phrasing of the sentence, before lifting up the finished breastplate, “I think I’ve finally made something you can’t destroy so easily. So, how about you try it on.”

If he was smiling it was because he was proud of himself; he wondered if Alfred noticed their change in dynamic. After all, usually he was the grumpy one and Alfred was the one grinning with confidence. The frown on the other man’s face didn’t stay there for long once he took a good look at the armor set in front of him, “It’s...is this dragon scale? Is it…? Oh! It’s on the gauntlets, too! And the pauldrons--it’s on all of it. Damn, it’s so pretty.”

He crossed his arms before he nodded, “It’ll protect better against all those creatures you feel like fighting as well.”

Alfred’s eyes sparkled as he started hoisting the equipment into his arms, “So, let’s get me started on my next adventure then!”

It took him only a couple of minutes to strap and fasten all of it onto his body but within moments he was jumping happily in place, “It fits so perfectly. Oh, all the other soldiers are going to be so jealous. Man, you’ll probably make so much money just off of me walking down the street. You know that others are going to want a set just like it! It’ll be awesome!”

Ludwig sighed, “Well, when they slay a dragon they’ll get a set. I’m not using the remaining scales for run-of-the-mill guards that are never in any danger. I’m willing to bet that I’ll need them later to repair that set. Regardless, I make armor to protect the person wearing it. If they’re safe in basic iron then they’re getting basic iron. You, however, probably will manage to get injured even in that; but that’s the best I can do so it will have to do.”

Alfred paused and looked over at him, “Oh, I think I get it now. I...Thank you.”

Ludwig waved a hand at him, “You’re the one who paid me double my normal price.”

Al chuckled and turned his arms in front of him, watching the light from the window glint off of the scales, “This is so amazing.”

Ludwig didn’t have time to comment before the other man bound out of his store with a happy wave over his shoulder. He shrugged; he’d be back eventually.

“But sir! Your job is to outfit all of the soldiers I don’t understand why you can’t just make me the same kind of armor he’s got! I mean--”

Ludwig walked around his workbench actively trying to avoid the dumbass that was pestering him, “Have you ever fought a dragon?”

“Well, no, but--”

“Ever sustained any serious injury in the armor you are currently outfitted in?”

“No, but--”

“Well, I’m sorry kid but if you want an upgrade in armor you’re going to have to prove to me why you need it. I’m not wasting material on someone who doesn’t need it. You’d have to pay me an obscene--”

“How much?”

“What?”

“How much would I have to pay you to convince you?”

Ludwig sighed, “Listen, I’m not using Alfred’s scales on you. You’d not only have to bring me scales of your own--which means you’re going to have to slay a dragon, just in case you missed that--and you’d still have to pay me at least fifty gold to convince me and I can see in your face that it isn’t an option. So, get out of my store.”

The young man slunk out of the building like he had lost something precious to him. Almost as soon as he exited the door, Alfred came waltzing in. He couldn’t help the glare already forming on his face--it had only been two weeks, “I swear if you have somehow destroyed--”

Alfred laughed and waved his hands in front of him, “No, no, it’s intact. Doesn’t even have any dents yet actually. Although, there hasn’t been another dragon trying to eat the town recently either so I’ve got no data for how it’ll hold up with that. Anyway, I’ve fought some wyverns that were guarding the well and threatening people and I slayed a few rabid wolves and everything is all good.”

He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, “Then why are you in here?”

The blush that spread across Al’s freckled cheeks was unexpected to say the least, “Well, this is usually about the time that I break something and it felt weird walking by when I know that on a normal basis I’d be in here today.”

He blinked, “So, you’re here just to bother me then?”

“Actually, I was hoping that you’d walk across the street with me and get a drink.”

Ludwig looked around his shop, trying to evaluate if he could leave or if he had work to do. Upon realizing that he had no outstanding orders waiting for completion he nodded, “I don’t see why not.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3! All kudos and comments are appreciated


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